Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Can they save Miss Peregrine ... and all peculiars?

About Hollow City by Ransom Riggs: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children was the surprise best seller of 2011—an unprecedented mix of YA fantasy and vintage photography that enthralled readers and critics alike.

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine's island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

My two cents

After having been left with a cliffhanger of an ending on Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, I was curious to find out what happened to Jacob and the peculiar children. Do they come out alive?

Of course they do, but the danger isn't over. In this second installment of a unique series based off an odd collection of vintage photographs, the world built up by Riggs becomes even more fleshed out as Jacob and company make their way to yet another fantastical island and into 1940s London.

This is a thriller-mystery taking place in alternate realities, peppered with more peculiars including peculiar animals. The good versus bad theme becomes even more pronounced and time is of the essence. The stakes are so much higher: can Jacob and his friends save their beloved Miss Peregrine ... and the entire peculiar race from certain destruction?

***

While I adored the concept of using vintage photographs for Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, it was a sore point for me because I thought it stifled the story. Not so with Hollow City which already had the benefit of the introduction of the world of peculiars in the first book. While bizarre photographs still make their appearance in this book, they are not the end-all or be-all of the novel. In fact, you can read this book without looking at the photos, not something I'd recommend for the first book.

I found the plot of Hollow City really engaging and so much more unpredictable. I didn't exactly know how this was going to turn out but the mixture of peculiar folklore and the more in-depth characterizations made for a huge surprise ending for me!

The same peculiar children make their reappearance in this book. And then some. This series has the potential for more strangeness, as this book shows by introducing peculiar animals and some children with even more strange powers. Exciting stuff!

Overall, I liked this book better than the first. I can only hope that the third installment will only get better!

Verdict: If you liked the first book, this is a must-read. Those new to the series will enjoy this fast-paced and unpredictable mystery-thriller ... all with a peculiar twist.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for honest review consideration.